Brown butter & sage gnocchi.
Ricotta gnocchi are forgiving in a way that potato gnocchi are not. The dough holds together with flour and an egg, the dumplings cook in a minute, and they sit cheerfully in a pan of brown butter that you've shown a few sage leaves to.
ingredients.
- 500 g ricotta drained overnight
- 100 g parmesan finely grated, plus more to serve
- 1 egg
- 150 g 00 flour plus more for dusting
- pinch nutmeg
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 80 g unsalted butter
- 20 sage leaves
- black pepper, lemon zest to serve
method.
- 01
Mix the ricotta, parmesan, egg, nutmeg, and salt in a wide bowl. Add the flour in two goes, folding rather than kneading — the dough should be just-tacky and barely cohesive.
- 02
Tip onto a well-floured surface. Cut into four; roll each piece into a 2 cm-thick rope and slice into pillows. Dust lightly. They keep, uncovered, for an hour.
- 03
Bring a wide pan of well-salted water to a simmer (not a rolling boil — they're delicate). Slip the gnocchi in; they're done 30 seconds after they bob to the surface.
- 04
Meanwhile, brown the butter in a wide pan with the sage. The leaves crisp; the butter goes hazelnut. Lift the gnocchi straight from water to butter with a slotted spoon. Toss; finish with pepper and a fine grating of lemon zest.